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  • Patrick Sheltra Looks for Nationwide Opportunity

    Patrick Sheltra Looks for Nationwide Opportunity

    This past weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Patrick Sheltra was spotted sitting on the No. 21 pit box for Clint Bowyer during the Nationwide race.

    Sheltra Motorsports earlier this year expressed that they were negoitating to get Sheltra into a full-time Nationwide Series ride after winning the 2010 ARCA Re/Max Series Championship. In 20 races this past season, Sheltra had two wins, 12 top fives and 17 top 10s on his way to his first championship.

    The combination of Sheltra and Richard Childress Racing would seem unlikely, however, as RCR has announced they will not be doing a Nationwide Series program in 2011. Though speculation has it that this could lead to Sheltra running some races in the No. 21 car to close out the season as no full-time driver is in place.

    The ARCA Series has been known for producing great NASCAR drivers as both Justin Lofton, Parker Kligerman, Michael McDowell, T.J. Bell and Justin Allgaier have recently moved up from the ARCA ranks. Each driver has had their own degree of success, however the 2008 and 2009 champions have experienced the most lately.

    Justin Lofton, the 2009 champion, is driving the No. 7 truck in the Craftsmen Truck Series this year for Tuner Motorsports. So far this year, Lofton has four top fives and six top 10s in 20 starts.

    Justin Allgaier, the 2008 champion, is driving the No. 12 car in the Nationwide Series this year for Penske Racing. So far this year, Allgaier has one win (Bristol), seven top fives, 18 top 10s and one pole in 31 starts. Allgaier hopes to catch the eye of a sponsor or a new team owner as he could left on the sidelines next year.

    Parker Kligerman, the 2009 series rookie of the year, looks to follow in the footsteps of Allgaier as he is currently under a developmental contract with Penkse Racing.

    Could Sheltra be the next success story? It is very well possible as Sheltra showed this year that he can be consistant, determined and ready for the next level.

  • Trevor Bayne A Ford Mustang Virgin No More

    Trevor Bayne A Ford Mustang Virgin No More

    In just his third race with Roush Fenway Racing since getting the boot from Michael Waltrip Racing, driver Trevor Bayne made his Ford Mustang debut in the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “I like them,” Bayne said simply about the new Mustang. “They look cool, that’s for sure.”

    Unfortunately, Bayne did not have quite the result that he would have wanted for his inaugural run in his new No. 17 Roush Fenway ride. The young driver finished in the 17th position after starting in the back of the field in 25th.

    “I don’t think the finish really shows how we ran,” Bayne said. “That’s the sad thing for this team because we just had a bad qualifying run for some reason.”

    “The car got really tight on us,” Bayne said of his qualifying run. “But we worked our way up toward the front and got up to 11th at one time and I think that’s about where we belonged.”

    In one of the stranger twists of the Nationwide Dollar General 300, the cycle of pit stops played a significant role in the race finishing order. Several late race cautions and a strange resetting of the field due to an error made by NASCAR during a lug nut pit call also shook up the field.

    “We had great pit stops that really helped us,” Bayne said. “But it cycled out funny when some of the guys stayed out on the green-flag stop. That put us back to about 17th and track position was just so big tonight that once we got in dirty air our car would lose all of its handling.”

    Bayne attributed his not so stellar finish to his inability to fight his way forward to that dirty air, especially on the last restart with just a few laps to go in the race.

    “We were just a victim of our car being in bad air,” Bayne said. “I think they did a great job with it. We’ll get this Ford Mustang there eventually.”

    Bayne also confessed that his Mustang went from tight to very loose, especially as the track cooled. That loose condition was something that Bayne said he expected as it is characteristic of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “We kind of expected that,” Bayne said. “It really freed up and that’s a characteristic of this race track. We just didn’t know how much it would free up and it was a lot. I think we were definitely fighting free most of the night.”

    Bayne also had a tussle on the track during the race with another young gun, Steven Wallace, who was behind the wheel of the No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota. Wallace’s car hit the wall, suffering severe damage and lead to a very disappointing 29th place finish.

    “He started coming up and I gave him all the room I could possibly give him,” Bayne said of Wallace. “You can’t check up in those situations very much and I was just hoping he knew I was there.”

    “We just barely touched, but it was enough to send him,” Bayne said. “I hate when stuff gets torn up but it was either his stuff torn up, or I could have hit the wall missing him, and I don’t want to tear up my stuff either.”

    With his third race and his virgin Mustang run under his belt, Bayne continues to settle in at Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne is officially the 45th driver to take the wheel for the team, along with several other young guns in the stable with him.

    “I knew there would be a learning curve as we got used to the team,” Bayne said. “But I’m excited about it.”

    “I’m already feeling at home in this organization and that’s important,” Bayne said. “To have a long-term commitment from someone is one thing, but to feel like you belong there is another. I have both of those right now and that’s awesome.”

    Bayne especially appreciates the history and winning ways of Roush Fenway. The youngster is especially enamored of his new team owner, Jack Roush.

    “It’s really cool to be a part of an organization that already has a history like Roush Fenway,” Bayne said. “I know that winning is part of their blood. Hopefully, we can add to those win totals very soon.”

    “Jack is awesome,” Bayne said. “I have never known an owner to be so involved; and involved is the key word here. It’s pretty incredible to see someone like that, who is as accomplished as Jack is. That is very impressive to me.”

    The nineteen year old Bayne will drive for his team owner and hero in the Nationwide Series for the rest of the 2010 season. He is currently eighth in the Series point standings heading into the next race at Gateway on October 23rd.

  • Returning to what I love best Nascar and Writing

    Returning to what I love best Nascar and Writing

    Returning to what I love best, Nascar and Writing

    We have seasons in our life and that includes our profession as well. Dale, Jr. is no exception. The opposition has already retired Dale, Jr. in their minds. Questioning his career move from DEI to Hendrick and stating that as a driver his best years are behind him now. Only true Dale, Jr. fans know this couldn’t be further from the truth. After a couple years of writing actively for www.speedwaymedia.com I had to leave it for the moment. A divorce, caring for my elderly Uncle and my own personal health issues including surgery to repair 2 small brain aneurysms in July of 2009 caused me to have to stop a hobby I loved writing for my favorite sport! I am back and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will be too. Remembering our roots and our passion is what keeps one growing and becoming even better than before. With that being said I wanted to post my very first article I wrote in October 2002 and posted as my first article for www.speedwaymedia.com in 2003.

     

    Not Just Another Fan Chasing a Hero

    In a world where everything that glitters is gold, fame fortune and more media attention than anyone can stand. People just want to get close to the drivers, to look at them, to touch them, to get an autograph and have that moment ingrained in their memory forever. What if the driver being the human being that he is, touches another unknown human being through words and wisdom? In the eyes of this unknown person the driver could be Mickey Mouse. All that matters to the fan is the two shares an experience of pain and sadness, and because this driver talked so openly and freely about his pain, he helped someone he didn’t even know who was.

    My story is probably a little different than most. I became a fan of Nascar after the Dayton 500 in 2001 where Dale, Sr. lost his life. Before that Sunday I knew very little about racing. I had never heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Over the years, other than the name Petty, I had of Gordon and Earnhardt. I didn’t know much about either one, but I did know if you loved one, you hated the other and visa versa.

    That February evening in 2001, I logged onto Nascar.com for the first time. There was a feature called multimedia and it had Dale, Jr. speaking for the family just hours after his Dad had been killed. Other than being Dale Earnhardt’s son I knew nothing about him until that night. For the days and weeks to come, I followed stories and my heart bled for him and his family. I lost my Mother in May 1999, my relationship with her seemed to be similar to Dale, Jr’s relationship with Dale, Sr.

    During the next several months multimedia featured Dale, Jr. talking mostly about this loss, his grief and how he will make it through the season. I related so to the things he said. How he was dealing with this grief, what got him up in the morning and what got him to the racetrack on weekends. He talked about the things that gave him comfort and would allow him to go on. The interviews he did with Darrell Waltrip were the most comforting for me. I am an only child; I did have the support of friends and even grief support groups.

    Finally, I found someone who felt just like I did. At that time, almost 2 years since my Mother’s death I was still in so much pain. Being able to listen to these interviews on multimedia enabled me to heal. Dale, Jr. couldn’t hear me but I could hear him. I became a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan not because of his ability to drive a race car but because I had to turned to these videos for support and inspiration. I became on hooked on the human side of Dale, Jr. and will remember him as someone who helped me heal a little more from the death of my Mother.

    Now, nearing the end of the 2002 season I an avid Nascar fan. I cheer for many drivers now. I am a faithful DEI fan but I cheer for other drivers as well. I love the sport, and I have been to several races. The one thing I would like my story to convey is, we never really know how we touch other people. The drivers get to what they love to do, the sponsors get to sell a lot of what the drivers advertise on the cars and the fans get to go to races and have a good time. Sometimes when famous people let their human side show for the world to see, to one unknown person, it may be the answer to prayer and hope that life does go on. (10/2002)

    As I resume and continue my love for writing and Nascar, I will always be proud of my first article and the story it tells. I am grateful to www.speedwaymedia.com, my fellow writers and the fans that support all of us. My hope is my passion for my hobby and the sport will only be the beginning of great things to come. Dale Jr. fans, Hang on because he may be down right now, but he is not out!

  • The Chasers Take Their Battle to Charlotte Motor Speedway

    The Chasers Take Their Battle to Charlotte Motor Speedway

    While Jamie McMurray stole the show with the win, the beast of the southeast took her turn at mixing up the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    Multiple Chase drivers took a turn in the blender experiencing issues, which has now changed the complexion of the Chase.

    12th: No. 33 Clint Bowyer, 300 points back of points leader Jimmie Johnson

    After a finish of 17th, Clint Bowyer keeps his seat as the last place man in the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship standings. Bowyer struggled all night with an ill-handling car and even got into a pit road discussion with Johnson. Coming off of pit road, Johnson cut Bowyer off, in Bowyer’s mind, when he was leaving his stall. In return, Bowyer made contact with Johnson before they went back green.

    Bowyer has a long fight ahead of him, something he knew he would have after the 150 points penalty following New Hampshire.

    11th: No. 17 Matt Kenseth, 256 points back of Johnson

    Matt Kenseth had a consistant night as he finished sixth after running in the top 10 for most of the night. Though if Kenseth is going to have a shot at the championship, Kenseth will have to pull off some wins and hope the others run into some misfortunes.

    10th: No. 31 Jeff Burton, 239 points back of Johnson

    After a finish of 20th due to an ill-handling car and a spin, Burton drops back two spots to 10th in points. Burton is known for his consistancy, however like Kenseth, he will have to go above that and hope for some misfortune.

    9th:  No. 2 Kurt Busch, 237 points back of Johnson

    Busch had just a good of night as Burton did as he spun early in the race and was lucky nobody else made contact with him. From that point on, it was all downhill as the team could never get a handle on the car, which resulted in a finish of 30th. This, in return, caused him to drop three spots in the championship standings.

    8th: No. 16 Greg Biffle, 225 points back of Johnson

    With both Busch and Burton having issues, Biffle was able to gain two spots in the standings after finishing fifth. Biffle is known for being good on the mile and a halfs so it’d seem to be no surprise that he was in the top 10 most of the night.

    7th: No. 99 Carl Edwards, 200 points back of Johnson

    Carl Edwards is another Roush ford that had a decent night as he finished 12th to stay seventh in the standings. If Edwards wants to live up to his tough competitor edge and win the title, he’s going to have to pull off some top fives.

    6th: No. 14 Tony Stewart, 177 points back of Johnson

    After recieving damage in an early race incident after slowing down to avoid a wreck, Stewart’s night didn’t get better as he finished 21st and dropped one spot in the standings. Stewart had hopes that he’d be able to get back in the championship picture following his win at Auto Club Speedway. However, this sets him further back and makes the chances of that happening slimmer.

    5th: No. 18 Kyle Busch, 177 points back of Johnson

    After a finish of second, Busch gains four spots in the championship and looks to be entering back into the picture. Last week, Busch wrote himself off saying that he was done after they blew the motor. Following his second place finish, Busch was still disappointed as he felt that he should’ve won after dominating. Truthfully, Busch is going to have to pull off some wins if he wants to gain the points on his fellow competitors as right now, he looks to be just outside of the gate of being in the picture.

    4th: No. 24 Jeff Gordon, 156 points back of Johnson

    Gordon was running in the top 10 and looked to gain points after starting on pole, however alternator issues, which brought on a change of the batteries, caused him to finish 23rd. Gordon is barely in the picture as a swing of 161 points is possible in one race, if all the circumstances fall in place. Though this race also represents Gordon’s luck this year as whenever he seems to be in the spot to get a shot at winning, something happens that causes that chance to disappear.

    3rd: No. 29 Kevin Harvick, 77 points back of Johnson

    After looking to be the most consistant driver following the first 26 races, Harvick now sits third in points after finishing eighth. Harvick has the ability to pull off some wins so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Harvick made the charge.

    2nd: No. 11 Denny Hamlin, 41 points back of Johnson

    After finishing fourth, the disappointment was clear on Hamlin’s face as he knew he fell short of his goal – beating Johnson. Hamlin has officially declared that he is after Johnson and is ready to win the championship so look for these final five races to be exciting.

    1st: No. 48 Jimmie Johnson

    Following the Bank of America 200, Johnson deserves the “biggest comeback” award as a lot of people thought it was going to be a poor finish for the No. 48 team. At the beginning of the race, Johnson had a really loose car, which caused him to spin. Once he was stuck back in traffic, it was thought that he’d be done. However, like many times before, crew chief Chad Knaus pulled out the magic wand and got the car to where it was the quickest car on track. Johnson drove from the back to lead the race for awhile, and then eventually settled for second. Performances like these are what win championships and Johnson proved why he is a four-time champion. Look for the No. 48 team to put out these types of performances from here till Homestead.

    Each week brings a new challenge to the Chase for the Championship drivers and each week, you see drivers that lose hopes to being the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion.

    Next Sunday, the drivers will head to Martinsville Speedway, a tough half mile paperclip. Look for Johnson and Hamlin to battle for the win and the title as they’ve both been battling the track lately to determind whom is king. Although while they’re at it, don’t forget to watch the other 10 as they may sneak in and spoil their party.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Bank of America 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Bank of America 500

    Weird things sometimes happen under the lights and NASCAR’s elite Cup Series did not disappoint as they took to the track at night in Charlotte.  Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the halfway point in the Chase, with just five races remaining in the 2010 season.

    Surprising:  For the very first time at Charlotte Motor Speedway since the Chase for the Championship began, a non-Chase driver took the checkered flag and emotionally climbed out of his car to celebrate in Victory Lane.  Jamie McMurray, a driver that has risen to the top in all major races with wins at the Daytona 500, the Brickyard, and now the night race in Charlotte, dedicated his victory to fellow competitor Shane Hmiel, who suffered life-threatening injuries in a serious wreck in a Silver Crown Series qualifying run.  McMurray also thanked his dad, who was in Victory Lane with him for the first time this season, and talked emotionally about the power of prayer and its effect on him and his team this year.

    Not Surprising:  Following closely behind McMurray in the decidedly heated battle for the second place position were none other than four-time champion Jimmie Johnson and admittedly aggressive competitor Kyle Busch.  While Busch won that battle, Johnson perhaps was the true winner, having overcome an early race spin and playing catch up all race long with continual coaching from crew chief Chad Knaus.  Busch had his share of obstacles as well, at one point battling throttle issues.  With Busch’s second place finish, the driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota climbed four positions in the point standings and also broke the record for the number of laps led, in his case now over 4,000 laps led, in NASCAR’s top three series.  Jimmie Johnson, with his third place finish, maintained his standing as points leader, currently 41 points ahead of the second place contender.

    Surprising:  No one could have predicted how many of the Chase contenders would have problems at their home track under the lights.  Kurt Busch, who was going for a Charlotte sweep and history, not only wrecked during practice but also wrecked early in the race.  Tony Stewart also sustained damage to his incredibly unattractive race car after an incident involving his teammate.  After leading the field to the green from the pole position, the other four-time champion Jeff Gordon suffered battery issues, losing power in his principal battery and going a lap down in trying to make the switch to the back up.  Jeff Burton also had issues, causing caution number eight when he slid across teammate Clint Bowyer’s nose and spectacularly spun his car out of contention, finishing 20th.

    Not Surprising:  On the flip side, it was not surprising to yet again see many non-Chase competitors start to find their grooves as the season winds to a close.  In addition to Jamie McMurray in Victory Lane, other non-Chasers also had good runs, including Joey Logano who finished seventh, David Reutimann who came in ninth, and David Ragan who had an unusually good finish in the top ten in his Live United No. 9 Ford. 

    Surprising:   After such stellar runs in Fontana with Tony Stewart in Victory Lane and Ryan Newman finishing fifth, Stewart-Haas Racing had a terrible time back at the home track in Charlotte.  Newman got the worst of it, crashing on lap two of the race, when he got loose, spun and hit the wall.  The incident and the resulting damage relegated the driver to his worst finish in eight races, coming to the checkered flag in the 36th position.  Stewart finished slightly better in the 21st position, but fell a spot in the Chase standings to sixth, now 177 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

    Not Surprising:  Denny Hamlin, still in the hunt for this year’s championship, maintained the position of being poised to strike at Johnson for the coveted Sprint Cup.  Hamlin, in his No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota finished fourth in the Bank of America 500 and remains just 41 points behind Johnson in the Chase for the Championship standings. 

    Surprising:   Strange things happened on pit road during the race at Charlotte, from speeding penalties to burning rubber in the pit boxes.  Seasoned drivers and past champions Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon both had speeding penalties.  While Busch was coming in hot to get tires after this spin on the track, Gordon was penalized for the second week in a row for being too fast on pit road, relegating him to a miserable 23rd place race finish and undoubtedly jeopardizing any hope for a fifth championship run.

    Not Surprising:   Kevin Harvick had his usual share of problems in the pits, with his crew having failure to perform yet again.  Harvick did, however, overcome them to finish eighth in the race, keeping himself in the championship hunt, in the third position just 77 points shy of leader Johnson.

    Surprising:  In a surprising turn of events, Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne bailed from his No. 9 Budweiser Ford.  Kahne and Sam Hornish tangled on Lap 124, with both suffering severe damage to their race cars.  Kahne took the opportunity to leave the track, citing illness, and J.J. Yeley was enlisted to finish the race, bringing the car home in the 38th position.

    Not Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had another miserable night at the office.  The Hendrick Motorsports driver brought up the rear for his team, finishing 29th and sharing that his car felt like it had “concrete in the front shocks” and that his run was “expletive embarrassing.”

    The Cup Series will head next to the short track at Martinsville, Virginia.  The sixth race of the 10-race Chase, the Tums Fast Relief 500, will run on Sunday, October 24th at 1:00 PM EDT on ESPN.

  • NASCAR: Danica Patrick Looks For Driving Coach

    NASCAR: Danica Patrick Looks For Driving Coach

    It is no secret that Danica Patrick’s into NASCAR has not gone as well as anticipated. There are those who have criticized her not only her approach, but even her mere participation.

    However, there may be hope at the end of the line for us all. Patrick may be getting a coach who can help change her fortunes.

    Patrick’s coach going forward could be NASCAR veteran Mark Martin.

    “It would be nice if somebody could help me, whoever it is — I would take any help,” Patrick said on ESPN.com. “Like he [Martin] said, you need somebody to get in the car and say this is the setup, go drive it after they’ve driven it. It’s one thing to say drive this line, do this or that, but when you don’t have maybe the car that can do that, it’s just words, so it would be nice for someone to throw me in a car after they’ve driven it so I get a real feel for it.”

    Patrick has spoken to Martin on two separate occasions. They spoke for about an hour when they first met at Phoenix Raceway in 2006 and then again following her wreck at Dover International Speedway, a couple weeks ago.

    She says she’d be welcome to Martin’s advice, if he can fit it in his schedule.

    “He’s incredibly busy, obviously, with a full season and I would take anything he’d be willing to give,” she said.

    For Patrick, having a veteran driver to help her find the feel of the race car would be a good start. It would allow her to observe what she needs to find in the car and be more competitive. It was said that during a test, Kelly Bires set up the car. Afterwards, she drove the car and ran lap times around his.

    However, this could be seen as a scapegoat for Patrick. Part of the learning process for a stock car driver, is being able to find the feel of the car via the seat of their pants. Then they must apply the right changes necessary to fit the driving style. One of the requirements for success is to have the best set-up. By allowing Patrick to skip this critical step, could this hurt her process in that part of the development?

    Despite the foregoing negativity, having Martin as a coach would be a good thing. She could use Martin’s experience to discuss potential problems in future races and receive advice.

    Considering she had no stock car experience before running the Nationwide Series, Patrick is doing well. A lot of drivers already have that feel prior to finding it at the short track ranks. Therefore, having to go through the process at a higher degree of competition will make the issues more apparent.

    She also showed improvement during her race at the Auto Club Speedway, running in the top 15, before being taken out.

    There’s also been talk that running both series has hindered her ability to find that feel, which could be true due to using differing driving styles. These next two months running the weekly Nationwide, could either prove or disprove that theory.

    However, it could also show her growth as a driver and the fact that she is finding the feel through hard work.

  • NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR chairman Brian France announced on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that NASCAR’s all three of its national series will move from unleaded fuel to an ethanol blend next season.

    The switch to Sunoco Green E15 is another step by NASCAR to “go green”.

    E15 blend is a mixture of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. The ethanol portion is produced from renewable resources at Sunoco’s facility in Marcus Hook, Pa.

    “This is the most visible thing that we can do to let our partners and our fans know that NASCAR is taking a slow, steady march as an industry.” France said.

    “When we said we had to accelerate our green efforts, this was a centerpiece.” France said. “It’s certainly the most visible thing we can do. It’s also one of the more difficult things that we do.”

    Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports, provided a statement from Ford Racing’s perspective on this new initiative.

    “Safe. Green. Smart. Quality. These are the four pillars of Ford Motor Company and it’s our mission that we are committed to on a daily basis. The journey toward more environmentally-friendly solutions in the automotive business and motorsports is never-ending and we applaud NASCAR for taking this important step toward an ethanol blend of fuel.”

  • Double-Dippers – NASCAR To Address Issue of Cup Drivers in Nationwide Series

    Double-Dippers – NASCAR To Address Issue of Cup Drivers in Nationwide Series

    On Tuesday, NASCAR held a meeting with Nationwide Series owners to discuss a variety of issues surrounding the series.

    One issue was the topic of “double-dippers,” drivers who compete in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Series Director Joe Balash said at Auto Club Speedway that they’d be discussing every option available.

    Some owners were waiting for this meeting to happen so they could start to determine who they want driving their cars. With the new car, rising costs and fewer people willing to put up money, this meeting was important in that it could easily determine how the Nationwide Series is known down the road.

    This year, as in year’s past, the issue has been the failure of Nationwide-only drivers to win races: Justin Allgaier is the only one to win a race this year and appears to be without a ride for next year due to his struggle to find sponsorship. With the lack of success of Nationwide-only drivers, sponsors who are looking into the series want a Cup driver to get them exposure.

    The Nationwide Series is known for developing drivers and allowing them to grow into Cup drivers. Without funding, however, drivers can’t get the opportunity to compete and follow what was formerly known as the A-B-C (ARCA-Busch [now Nationwide]-Cup) program.

    A couple different scenarios have been suggested to NASCAR, and each one was to be brought up for discussion on Tuesday.

    In the first scenario, any driver who is in the top 35 in the Sprint Cup Points Standings would not be allowed to compete under the same structure as the Nationwide-only teams. This would allow the best Nationwide-only driver to be determined by the end of the year.

    However, the negative side to that will be people questioning the validity of the championship. You’ll have those saying that, “Yes, so-and-so is the champion; however, this guy did this, so rightfully it is his.” Basically, it’d be the same game that was played when the Sprint Cup Chase to the Championship came out. Over time, that scenario has diminished with people complaining about validity; however, it took time, and in some people’s eyes, ended up taking a shot at NASCAR’s character.   

    The second scenario discussed would limit Sprint Cup drivers to participating in only one Nationwide Series practice session for each race while Nationwide-only drivers would get two practice sessions. With the new car going into full effect for next year and no additional testing planned after Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway in February, this proposal would give the Nationwide regulars a better opportunity to set up their cars.

    The disadvantage is that, at times, Cup drivers have gotten no practice and still been able to set up their cars. They’ve done it by having a better feel for their cars during the race or during the previous Sprint Cup practices. Sprint Cup drivers are also more experienced, giving them an advantage in knowing what they need to do to run upfront.

    The last scenario would limit the number of races per year that Sprint Cup drivers can enter. Some would set the limit as low as five, while others would set it at 12. Regardless, Nationwide-only drivers would get more opportunities behind the wheel due to the decreased availability of Sprint Cup drivers, hopefully allowing them to win more races and gain confidence by competing against drivers of similar ability.

    The disadvantage to this scenario is that Sprint Cup drivers bring fans to the races and provide the Nationwide Series the majority of its current fan base. Eliminating these drivers for x-amount of races could possibly hurt the fan base, which in return would hurt ticket revenues and sponsorship money.

    Regardless which scenario comes into play, Balash says they will look at everything.

    “We’ll analyze points, no points, car rules, closed-top fuel systems and more,” Balash said. “Our thoughts are to position the Nationwide car so it drives and feels like a Nationwide car where one Nationwide shop is competing against another Nationwide shop. We can accomplish that by eliminating the rear sway bar, to save money with tapered spacers and new gear rules.

    “The key is to make the cars safer, eliminate additional costs and make our series unique on the racetrack.”

  • What Does Cale Yarborough Have to Do to Get in the Hall of Fame

    What Does Cale Yarborough Have to Do to Get in the Hall of Fame

    The announcement of the 2011class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame was interesting if not perplexing.  Chosen were David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett, and Bud Moore.  Pearson was as much of a lock to be voted in this year as anyone could have been.  Reports indicate he nearly made it last year, so this year was a certainty.  Surprising was the Jarrett and Moore selections, not that they didn’t deserve the honor.  They certainly do.  But what is confusing is how can you lock William Caleb Yarborough out two years in a row. 

    I had openly campaigned for Pearson, Yarborough, and Allison.  Those were the heroes of my youth, and with each approaching or past 70, I wanted to see them get into the Hall before anything happened to them.  Two out of three made it, but what about Cale?  Humpy Wheeler, former boss at Charlotte Motor Speedway, said it was personal feelings that drove the voters to Jarrett, Moore, and Petty and against Darrell Waltrip and Yarborough, the other two favorites.  Is there something I’m missing here?

    Yarborough has the third most wins in series history and is the only one of two drivers to win three consecutive Sprint Cup championships.  So why did Petty, Jarrett, and Moore get in and Yarborough did not?  It probably had to do with exposure.  Yarborough is seldom seen around NASCAR’s speedways and last made an appearance in congratulating Jimmie Johnson for tying his consecutive championship record, a record Johnson has since eclipsed.  Maybe Yarborough could be called the forgotten man.

    Truth is, this was a tough decision for the voters to make and Wheeler is probably right in that personal feelings had a lot to do with it.  Petty was a pioneer in the sport and the father of NASCAR’s “King,” Richard Petty.  Jarrett was a popular personality on NASCAR’s television and radio broadcasts for years.  Moore was a crusty World War II veteran who led his drivers to 63 wins and two championships.  And that’s the problem.

    The powers that be just don’t induct enough people into the Hall of Fame.  At the rate of five per year, most of our heroes will have gone on to their reward before they make the Hall.  There should also be separate categories for drivers, crew chiefs, pit crew members, car owners, and media greats.  The Hall should have had an initial 20 people inducted and then chosen five a year from each category.  Some will not live long enough to see their heroes in the Hall, and that’s a shame.

    So those of us who watched Yarborough wrestle a race car around the track to win will have to wait another year…or three.  And if NASCAR continues to only induct five per year, we may never see him join the elite group he deserves.

  • Elliott Sadler Looks For New Opportunity With Kevin Harvick Inc.

    Elliott Sadler Looks For New Opportunity With Kevin Harvick Inc.

    Elliott Sadler has been in a slump lately where nothing has gone right as he only has one top 10 this year. So when it came to his announcement as towards what he was going to do next year, it was no surprise that he was leaving Richard Petty Motorsports.

    However, the coming months would prove to change things even more as it’d be announced that he’d possibly be running the Camping World Truck Series or Nationwide Series next year for Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI).

    A lot of people would consider this to be a bad thing as they’d consider it a bad step down in the chain. However, for Sadler, it all did with a change of perspective.

    “If I leave and go to the Truck or Nationwide series, I’m not going there to run one year and end my career. I am going to restart it and do something else,” Sadler said on NASCAR.com. “Yes, it is a direction change, but my ego isn’t too big that it says I have to be a Cup driver or I can’t race. I don’t want to be a Cup driver that just rides around. That is not in my nature; I’m way too competitive of a person.

    “I don’t care what division I race in as long as I am competitive and I’m having fun. I just want to win races and have a chance at a championship so we’ve got our fingers crossed.”

    This past year running some Truck races for Kevin Harvick has offered that to Sadler. Sadler has made six starts for KHI, posting one win, two top-fives and three top-10s.

    Another thing that Sadler likes about working with Harvick is the confidence that Harvick instills in his drivers.

    “You know, when I felt like people might have turned their backs on me and done other stuff and left me in a tough situation, Kevin stepped up to the plate,” Sadler said. “He’s like, ‘Man, I believe in you, you can get this done. I want you to run my equipment.’ It has been a great situation. Kevin has done a lot to revive my career and give me confidence. He’s a great motivator right now.”

    That motivational quality in Harvick is something that Ron Hornaday went through with Harvick when he joined the organization. The wheels had fallen off Hornaday’s career as he was being bounced around middle-field Nationwide teams. Once he got with KHI, everything took off and he has since won two more Truck championships.

    So far all that’s been announced is Hornaday will be back to run the complete Truck Series schedule again while Sadler will be driving at least four races. Harvick would like to work Sadler into running more races, however it is known that he won’t do anything unless he knows that he’ll have the funding to be able to do it.

    “Right now, he’s obviously a part of our Truck Series program and has run the Nationwide races,” Harvick said on NASCAR.com. “We’d love to have him play more of a role with the organization.”

    The 2011 Plans for KHI should be finalized within the next month, Harvick added.

    For Sadler, he is looking at all of his options and right now is considering this to be a way to restart his career and prove himself again.

    “People have been asking me about that a lot lately and honestly I look at it like this,” Sadler said. “Jeff Burton said when he left Roush Racing and went to [Richard Childress Racing] he felt like he was restarting his career not going somewhere else to end it. I’m going here to start my career over to redo it and that’s kind of where I am at, too.”